V3 Printer driver model
Starting with Windows 2000, Microsoft’s standard GDI based printing subsystem is called version 3 (V3 printer driver model). The V3 printer driver model (GDI based) has been the basis of printer drivers for over 15 years.
With QualSoft’s vast experience working with this existing technology, you can be assured it has one of the most in the industry having designed drivers for printer manufacturers over the years targeting all types of printing devices from braille printers, engravers, desktop lasers, inkjets, industrial label printers to high end poster printers.
V3 High level architecture
The following is a high-level representation of a v3 print driver:
V3 Components
A typical Microsoft WHQL signed QualSoft V3 driver development provides the following deliverables:
- 32 and 64 bit Printer graphics DLL for the printer(s) description language
- 32 and 64 bit User Interface DLL targeted to a clients User interface requirements
- Support for a clients range/series of printer models
- Support for printer functionality such as unique page sizes, resident printer fonts, barcodes etc.
- Language monitor to obtain printing status
- Print Processor (if required)
- Customized Device Stage(s)
- Full testing using the WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs) test suite covering 32 and 64bit Windows OS versions from Windows 7 all the way through to the latest Windows Server 2019
- Fully published to Windows Update for international product coverage
- Ongoing development covering a clients future feature requests, new printer models and new Windows versions
